Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-11-27
CHAPTER XIX.

He was able 10 light . cigar and
to think quietly over what had happened,
CHAPTER XIX.
Avoiding the crowd under the colon
nades, Francis walked slowly up and down
the noble open space Of the square, bathed
in the light Of the rising moon.
Without being aware of it himself, he
was a thorough materialist. The strange
effect produced on him by the moon fol.
lowing on the other relatives of his dead
brother-exercised no perplexing~ influence
over the mind ofthis sensible man. per.
haps," he reflected, my temperament is
more imaginative than 1 supposed it to be,
and this is trick played on me by my
own fancy. Or, perhaps, my friend is
right; something is physically amiss with
me. i don't feel i'll, certainly; but that is
no safe criterion sometimes / am not
going to sleep in that abominsble to-
night; I can well wait till tomorrow to de-
eide whether / shall speak to a doctor or
not. In the meantime, the hotel doesn't
seem likely to supply me with the subject
of a piece. A terrible smell from an in
visible ghost is q perfectly new idea. But
il has one drawback. If / realize it on
the stage | shall drive the audience out Of
the theatre"
As his strong common sense arrived at
this facetious conclusion he became aware
of a lady, dressed entirely in black, who
was Observing him with marked attention.
Am I right in suppOsiDg you to be Mr..
Francis westwick?n the lady asked at the
moment when he looked at her.
THAT is my name, madame. May / in
uuire TO whom / have the honor Of speak
ing?"
1--WE have only met once" she answered,
q little eyasiyely, ''when your late brother
introduced me to the members OF his
family. 1 wonder if you have quite for
gotten my big black eyes and my hideous
e~omplexion?" She lifted her veil as she
spoke, and turned 80 that the moonlight
rested on her face.
Francis recognized at a glance the wo-
man of all Others whom he most cordially
disliked, the widow of his dead brother,
the first Lord Montbarry. He frowned as
he looked at her. His experience on the
stage, gathered at innumerable rehearsais
with actresses who had sorely tried his
temper, had accustomed him to speak
roughly to women who were distasteful to
him. AZ remember you," he said. Il
thought you were in Americe."
She took no notice of his ungracious o
and manner; she simply stopped him when
he lifted his hat aud turned to leave her.
"Let me walk with You a few minutes, 4"
she quietly replied. II have something
to say to you"
He showed her his cigar. II am smok-
ing, he said.
Il don't mind smoking"
After that there was nothing to be done
short of downright brutality but to
yield. He did it with the worst possible
grace. "Welr' he resumed. what do
you want of me?"
'You shall hear directly, Mr.. Westwick.
Let me first tell you what my position Is.
am alone in the world. To the loss of
my husband has now been added another
bereavement-the loss o fmy companion in
America, my brother, Baron Riyar."
The reputation of the baron and the
doubt which scandal had thrown on his as
sumed relationship to the countess were
we'll known to Francis. Shot in a gamb-
ling ~salOon?" he asked, brutality.
THE question is a perfectly naturel one
on your part" she said, with the i'm
p~enetrably ironical ann which she
could assume on certain occasions. AS a
native of hOrse-racing England, you belong
to q nation of gamblers. My brother died
no extraordinary death, Mr.. West
wick. He sunk, with many other un-
fortunate people, under a fever prevalent
in a western city which we happened to
visit. The calamity of this loss made the
United States uncomfortable for me. l left
By the first steamer that sailed from New
York-a French vessel, which brought me
to Havre. l continued my lonely journey
to the south OF France. And then | went
on to Venice"
"What does all this matter to me?"
Francis thought to himself. She paused,
evidently expecting him to say something
80 you haS come to Venice?" he said,
carelessly. 'Why?"
Because / couldn't help it," she an
swered. Francis looked at her with cynical
curiosity.
That sounds" he remarked. "Why
couldn't you help it,"
Women are accustomed to act on i'm
pulse" she explained. Suppose we say
that an impulse has directed my journey?
| And vet, this is the last place in the world
that l wish to find myselfin. Associations
that l detest are connected with it in NV
mind. fl had q will of my own l would
never see it again. l hate Venice. AZ
you see, however, | am here. When did
you meet with such IN unreasonable wo-
man before? Never, l am suren' She
stopped, eyed him for q moment, and sud
denly altered her tone. when is Miss
| Agnes Lockwood expected to be in Venice?"
II was not easy to throw Francis off his
balance, but that extraordinary question
did it. "How the devil did you know
that Miss Lockwood was coming TO Ven
ice?" he exclaimed.
She laughed bitter, hooking laugh.
Say l guessed it,"
Something in her tone, or perhaps some
thing in the audacious defiance OF her eyes
as they rested on him, reused the quick
temper that was in Francis Westwick.
Lady Montbarry-" he began.
stop there" she interposed. Your
brother Stephens wife calls herself Lady
Montbarry now. share my title with no
woman. Call me by my name before l
committed the fatal mistake of marrying
your brother. Address me, if you please,
as Countess Narona."
Countess Narona." Francis resumed,
'if your object in claiming my acquaint-
anee is to mystify me, you have come to
the wrong man. Speak plainly, or permit
me to wish you good evening"
''If your object is to keep Miss Lock
woods arrival in Venice q secret" she re-
torted, speak plainly, Mr.. Westwick, on
your side and say 20"
90 49,
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